Three models of legal education and a plea for differentiation

J.M. Smits*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

In many parts of the world there is a continuing discussion about the best possible law curriculum and teaching method. Each of these discussions is shaped by the specificities of the country in question. This contribution aims to generalise from these national debates and identify three main driving forces behind them. The three main drivers identified here are the requirements that the university poses for any type of academic study, the demands of legal practice, and the expectations that society has of the legal profession. These three factors can be balanced in different ways. This is why a much needed differentiation among different types of law schools or law programmes is proposed. Law schools of the future should be much more conscious of the aims they want to achieve and make well-reasoned choices for one type of legal education or the other. The three models discussed in this contribution are law as doctrine, liberal law and legal engineering.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)55-63
JournalChina-EU Law Journal
Volume3
Issue number1
Early online date19 Nov 2013
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 19 Nov 2013

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